Shipping means



Dec. 8, 1964 D. L. ALLEN ETAL SHIPPING MEANS Filed June 4, 1965 Mammy" 1m FAQ-Mum @Mn n@wd um film: \\go (2/ L20 *--23 4 pm A INVENTORJ M OWa,@&?

ATTORNEKs United States Patent 3,159,939 SPING MEANS Dewar L. Allen, 7501 Spring Lake Brive, Bethesda, Md, and Jay W. GMalley, 4501 Filter St., Philadelphia, Pa. Filed June 4, 1963, Ser. No. 25,347 3 laims. (Cl. 40-2) This invention relates to improvements in means which permits shipping documents to be safely attached to the outside of a shipping container.

It is highly desirable in many instances that shipping documents, such as packing lists, inspection vouchers, invoices and the like, be attached to the outside of a shi ping container. The usual way of accomplishing the foregoing is by placing the documents in an envelope, scaling the same, and then securing the envelope to the container; for example, by adhesive on the back of the envelope, by tape placed around the edges, or by metal staples.

The envelope scheme has several disadvantages. The cost of the envelope, tape, etc. is relatively high; there is considerable labor time involved in attaching envelopes to the container; and the envelope projects to a considerable degree away from the wall of the container and therefore is susceptible to being torn or dislodged.

The principal object of the present invention is to provide a device for attaching shipping documents to a shipping container which does not have the disadvantages of the envelope arrangement and which has several distinct and highly desirable advantages not possessed by the envelope arrangement. For these purposes, the invention contemplates a thin, flexible, rectangular-shaped strip or sheet, which can be peeled off of a supporting means, the shipping documents tacked to the strip and then the assembly placed on the wall of a shipping container in a manner so that the strip covers and retains the shipping documents closely and firmly against the wall.

One of the advantages of the invention is the low manufacturing cost. The materials from which the device is made are standard and relatively inexpensive and the assembly of the device can be done by conventional high production techniques.

Another advantage of, the invention is its savings in labor costs.- The device offers a vehicle by means of which the shipping documents can be very quickly attached to the shipping carton and this reduces labor costs associated with shipping.

Another advantage of the invention is the ability to protect the shipping documents. The device offers the utmost in protection to the documents while the container is in transit. This protection extends both as to environmental conditions, such as moisture, and also to detachment or dislodgement of the shipping documents.

Still another advantage of the invention is its versatility. The device can be attached to a shipping container which has either a fiat or a curved surface. Also, it may be applied at the corner or edge of a container and extend on the adjacent sides so that the location of the list is readily discernible when one of the sides is obstructed from view, for example, when the containers are stacked.

A preferred construction of the invention will be explained in the following description and drawings, where- FIGURE 1 is a plan view of an embodiment of the invention prior to the attachment of the strip to the container;

FIGURE 1a is an end view of the assembly of FIG- URE 1;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view showing the strip of FIG- URE I removed from its support and turned over 180;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary perspective view showing ice one side of a shipping container with the device of FIG- URE 1 attached to the side thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a plan view of another embodiment of the invention prior to the attachment of the strip to the container; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view with the device of FIGURE 4 attached thereto.

In FIGURE 1 a generally rectangular-shaped strip or sheet 1 is mounted on a support 2. The strip 1 is preferably formed from polyvinyl chloride, pressure-sensitive tape, for example 3M pressure-sensitive tape No. 681. This adhesive tape is very thin being in the order of three mils, is flat, flexible, transparent, moisture resistant and somewhat stretchable. The surface 3 of the strip 1, which is engaged with the surface 4 of the support 2, is coated with adhesive. As shown, the support 2 is a conventional release liner or release paper and the surface 4 is treated so that the strip 1 can be readily peeled away.

In FIGURE 2 the strip 1 has been removed from the support 2 and turned over Over the adhesive surface 3 there is an opaque, non-adhesive coating 5. AS will be observed, the coating '5 is toward the central area of the strip and its rectangular shape in conjunction with the rectangular shape of the strip forms an annular adhesive band 6. In making the opaque coating 5, certain areas of the adhesive surface 3 have not been coated so as to form the reverse printed letters 10.

The areas It constitute locking areas, that is to say,

if a shipping document is placed on the central area 5,

the document will adhere to the areas 10. Even if the strip 1 is picked up and moved vigorously, the documents will remain adhered.

In FIGURE 3, we have shown the device of FIGURE 1 mounted on the side 11 of a container 12. The device covers and retains the shipping documents 13 on the side of the container. i

In order to attach the documents as shown in FIG- URE 3, the strip of FIGURE 1 is peeled off the support 2 and laid down on a flat surface, for example as shown in FIGURE 2. A folded shipping document is then placed over the central area 5 so as to adhere to the locking areas it). The strip 1 is then picked up and one edge, for example the edge 14, is secured to the side of the container and then the remainder of the peripheral band 6 is successively rolled down so that the packing list conforms intimately to the side 11. The outside surface of the strip 1 is rubbed with the fingers or thumbs so as to press the adhesive band 6 firmly against the side '11.

It will be apparent that the central area 5 and the adhesive band form a pocket which contains the shipping documents. The central 'area, of course, constitutes a means which engages and maintains the documents against the container. The band '6 constitutes a means for firmly holding the device on the container.

The reverse printed letters or locking areas constitute intelligence concerning the shipping documents. When viewed in the position as shown in FIGURE 1 (which is the position the device occupies on the wall of the containor) the letters 10 form the words PACKING LIS The opaque coating 5 and the letters or locking areas 10 provide an optical contrast which permits reading of the intelligence. For example, the opaque coating is some color such as red (or a combination of colors) and the areas Iii (being transparent) take on the contrasting color or hue of the shipping documents.

The fact that the transparent areas reveal the presence of and the color of the shipping documentsas the further advantage of permitting identification of different types of shipping documents by color. Two separate devices on a shipping container can support different colored papers, for example, a blue packing list in one device and a pink colored invoice in the other device.

The adhesive areas are of special advantage in placing the packing list and strip on the container wall. The shipping documents adhere to the areas 18 so that when the strip is picked up for placement on the container, the shipping documents remain firmly in place.-

Further, in conforming the strip to the side of the container, there is no interference or loss of time by movement of the shipping documents; This adherence characteristic is conducive to having considerable labor time.

It will'be readily appreciated that the device as described above, has every considerable advantage from the standpoint of protecting the packing list. For example, the strip 1 is made from moisture resistant (or moisture proof) plastic material so that the shipping documents will remain dry in transit, even when exposed to abnormally wet conditions.

Further, it will be apparent that the plastic strip causes the documents to closely hug the side of the container. This oliers'a smooth unobstructed surface without projections which minimizes .the possibility of the sheet and documents being ripped or dislodged from the side.

Further, the peripheral band 6 can be quickly rubbed down so that it intimately engages the side of the con tainer even to an extent such that a sharp instrument would be necessary to commence any peeling action. In most instances that We have encountered the central area covering the shipping documents will project not much more than 31 of an inch from the side of the container. The No. 681 plastic strip mentioned above has a further characteristic of being somewhat stretchable and this has an advantage in that it is useful in causing the documents to closely and intimately conform with the side of the container.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the total time involved in taking the assembly of FIG- URE 1, peeling Off the strip 2, placing the document on the central section 5 and then adhere the strip to the side of the container is relatively shortened particularlyas compared to the total time necessary with the conventional envelope system. This has the decided advantage, of course, of lowering the costs connected with. the shipment of goods.

While we have shown the areas It to be in the form of intelligence which is readable when the device is set up on a container, it will be readily appreciated by those skilled in the art that an adhesive area or areas having any geometric form can be utilized to cause the shipping documents to adhere to the strip.

The embodiment described above is readily made from relatively inexpensive and conventional materials. For example, in making the device of FIGURE 1, a roll of pressure-sensitive tape is fed through a printer which successively prints opaque coatings such as the coating 5 on spaced areas of the tape. This is done by conventional pressure-sensitive tape printing techniques. As a continuous strip exits from the printer, it is joined to a strip of release paper or liner fed from another roll. The assembly is then fed to a cutter which severs the assembly so as to form the devices of the kind shown in FIGURE 1. It will be appreciated, therefore, that production costs can be minimized with the use of conventional materials and techniques.

Another advantage of the invention lies in its versatility. For example, the sheet described above is flex ible so that it can be used on a flat surface as shown in FIGURE 3 or used on a contoured or round surface. Additionally, the device canbe used at the junction of two planar surfaces for example at the corners of a container. Ingsuch instances, we contemplate a special configuration arranged so that the intelligence on the device is readable from both sides. Such an embodiment is shown in FIGURE 4.

In FIGURE 4 the strip 20 is mounted on the liner 21.

The adhesive side of the strip is provided with two nonadhesive, opaque areas 22 and 23 which have corresponding locking areas 24 and 25in the form of the words PACKING LIST. The two opaque areas 22 and 23 are arranged to form the annular adhesive band 26 and the adhesive area 30 between the two opaque areas.

If the strip 29 is removed from the support 21 and the packing documents placed across the opaque areas 23 and 24, the strip can be placed on the corner 31 between the sides 32 and 33 of the box 34. Preferably the area 39 in the strip runs along the corner 31. Thus, it will be seen that if the side 32 or the side 33 is not viewable (for example, if the cantons are stacked) the location of the packing list will still be apparent.

It will be noted in the embodiment of FIGURE 4 that We have reversed the printing as between the two opaque areas 23 and 24. This has been done so as to enhance the readability of the intelligence, particularly if a container is turned upside down.

In the embodiments described above, the release liner serves the function of supporting the strip 1 in a storage condition; i.e., to hold the strip in a manner to protect the strip and to prevent the adhesive from inadvertently adhering to some object. The liner, of course, is pro vided with a surface which will coopenate with the adhesive in a manner to provide that the strip can be readily peeled off and without the adhesive preventing the peeling action. 7

In certain cases, for example, for purposes of transit, storage and the like, it is contemplated that the device he maintained in roll form. In such instances, of course, several hundred or several thousand individual strips are joined end to end and wound up together in the roll. The various turns in the roll constitute support means for any one of the individual sections which constitute a single strip such as the strip 1. The roll form may be of a nature where both the strip 1 and the liner 2 are rolled up together or the roll may take the form wherein only the plastic material having the various opaque areas is maintained in roll form. In such instances, the various turns in the roll constitute a support for any of the inividual strip sections. In the latter case, the nonadhesive side of the plastic strip is back sized to provide for the ready peeling. In roll form, of course, the individual strip sections are removed from the roll by severing the same from the end of the roll. Severing is accomplished by conventional cutting or dispensing equipment.

We claim:

1. A device for attaching shipping documents to a shipping container comprising:

a flexible, transparent strip to cover and retain shipping documents on a shipping container, one surface of the strip having an adhesive coating thereon, an opaque non-adhesive coating on the central area of the strip and partially covering said adhesive coating so as to form an annular adhesive band adjacent the periphery of the strip and also to form in the central area a plurality of adhesive coatings constituting a plurality of locking areas and arranged as reverse printed letters constituting intelligence concerning the shipping documents, the opaque coating and the locking areas providing a contrast for the intelligence to be read by viewing the device through the non-adhesive side of the strip when, the same is on the shipping container, said band providing a means to engage and to adhere to the container to secure the strip to thesame and when so secured, the adhesive band and the centnal area forming a pocket containing the shipping documents and the central area providing a means for engaging and maintaining the shipping documents against the container and said transparency providing for the shipping documents to be viewable through the locking areas, together with means for supporting the strip in a storage condition, last said means having a supporting surface and said central area, said locking areas and said adhesive band being engaged with the supporting surface, the supporting surface havlocking areas, the locking areas and the opaque coating providing a contrast for the intelligence to be read by viewing the device through the non-adhesive side of the strip when the same is on the shipping container and said transparency providing areas all being removably engaged with the supporting surface, said locking area providing means for engaging and holding the shipping documents when the strip is removed from the supporting means and ing means providing for the strip to be peeled ofi 5 disengaged from the container. of the supporting surface without the adhesive pre- 3. A device for attaching shipping documents to a venting the peeling action, said locking areas proshipping container comprising: viding means for engaging and holding the shipping a flexible, transparent strip to cover and retain shipping documents when the strip is removed from the supdocuments on a shipping container, one surface of porting means and disengaged from the container. the strip having an adhesive coating thereon, an 2. A device for attaching shipping documents to a opaque non-adhesive printed coating on the central shipping container comprising: area of the strip and partially covering said adhesive a flexible, transparent strip to cover and retain shipcoating so as to form an annular adhesive band adping documents on a shipping container, one surface jacent the periphery of the strip and also covering of the strip having an adhesive coating extending said adhesive coating to form two spaced areas, each adjacent to the periphery of the strip and forming area having a plurality of adhesive coatings conan annular adhesive band and the band defining at stituting a plurality of locking areas and arranged least in part a central area and the band providing as reverse printed letters constituting intelligence a means to engage and to adhere to the container to concerning the shipping documents, said flexibility secure the strip to the same and when so secured providing for the device to be mounted at the juncthe adhered band and the central area forming a ture of two sides of the shipping container with one pocket containing the shipping documents and the of said spaced areas on one of said sides and the central area providing a means for engaging and other of said spaced areas on theother of said sides maintaining the shipping documents against the conand the opaque coating and the locking areas pro tainer and said surface in said central area having viding a contrast for the intelligence to be read by a plurality of adhesive coatings forming a plurality viewing the device through the non-adhesive side of locking areas and arrallgfid as reverse Printed of the stripwhen the same is on the shipping conletters constituting intelligence concerning the shiptainer and said transparency providing fo the 1 1 P g documents, a DOII-adhESIVe p q coatmg on ping documents to be viewable through the locking the portions of the central area not covered by the 0 areas References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1/43 Howard.

for the shipping documents to be viewable through 2,598, 55 6/ 3 Birch 40l58 the locking areas, together with means for sup- 2,767,495 10/56 Harris 40-2 porting the strip in storage condition, last said 2,996,177

8/61 Sproull 40-312 X means having a supporting surface and said central 7 area, said adhesive band and said adhesive locking 40 JEROME SCHNALL, Primary Examiner. 

1. A DEVICE FOR ATTACHING SHIPPING DOCUMENTS TO A SHIPPING CONTAINER COMPRISING: A FLEXIBLE TRANSPARENT STRIP TO COVER AND RETAIN SHIPPING DOCUMENTS ON A SHIPPING CONTAINER, ONE SURFACE OF THE STRIP HAVING AN ADHESIVE COATING THEREON, AN OPAQUE NON-ADHESIVE COATING ON THE CENTRAL AREA OF THE STRIP AND PARTIALLY COVERING SAID ADHESIVE COATING SO AS TO FORM AN ANNULAR ADHESIVE BAND ADJACENT THE PERIPHERY OF THE STRIP AND ALSO TO FORM IN THE CENTRAL AREA A PLURALITY OF ADHESIVE COATINGS CONSTITUTING A PLURALITY OF LOCKING AREAS AND ARRANGED AS REVERSE PRINTED LETTERS CONSTITUTING INTELLIGENCE CONCERNING THE SHIPPING DOCUMENTS, THE OPAQUE COATING AND THE LOCKING AREAS PROVIDING A CONTRAST FOR THE INTELLIGENCE TO BE READ BY VIEWING THE DEVICE THROUGH THE NON-ADHESIVE SIDE OF THE STRIP WHEN THE SAME IS ON THE SHIPPING CONTAINER, SAID BAND PROVIDING A MEANS TO ENGAGE AND TO ADHERE TO THE CONTAINER TO SECURE THE STRIP TO THE SAME AND WHEN SO SECURED, THE ADHESIVE BAND AND THE CENTRAL AREA FORMING A POCKET CONTAINING THE SHIPPING DOCUMENTS AND THE CENTRAL AREA PROVIDING A MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND MAINTAINING THE SHIPPING DOCUMENTS AGAINST THE CONTAINER AND SAID TRANSPARENCY PROVIDING FOR THE SHIPPING DOCUMENTS TO BE VIEWABLE THROUGH THE LOCKING AREAS, TOGETHER WITH MEANS FOR SUPPORTING THE STRIP IN A STORAGE CONDITION, LAST SAID MEANS HAVING A SUPPORTING SURFACE AND SAID CENTRAL AREA, SAID LOCKING AREAS AND SAID ADHESIVE BAND BEING ENGAGED WITH THE SUPPORTING SURFACE, THE SUPPORTING SURFACE HAVING MEANS PROVIDING FOR THE STRIP TO BE PEELED OFF OF THE SUPPORTING SURFACE WITHOUT THE ADHESIVE PREVENTING THE PEELING ACTION, SAID LOCKING AREAS PROVIDING MEANS FOR ENGAGING AND HOLDING THE SHIPPING DOCUMENTS WHEN THE STRIP IS REMOVED FROM THE SUPPORTING MEANS AND DISENGAGED FROM THE CONTAINER. 